Writer's Diary

Posts Tagged ‘My Immortals Series’

It just occurred to me that I have not said anything here about what’s up with the My Immortals Series.

The rights to the first two books are still held by Grand Central Publishing. There are foreign language sub-licenses that prevent me from getting those books reverted even though they are well under the sales threshold in US sales and even though My Wicked Enemy is legally and officially out of print.

Because I do not control the pricing or any in-book links to the first two books, it is impossible to effectively market the series. Unfortunately, based on past experience, it would be extremely foolish of me to agree to any co-promotion or other co-marketing efforts with Grand Central. The subject was raised, but I declined. I’m not an idiot.

Since it is now clear I might not get reversions until 2021, I have decided I will write two prequels to the series to act as “new” Books 1 and 2. That way, I can do sensible, effective promotion of the series. When the time comes that My Wicked Enemy and My Forbidden Desire do revert to me, those books will still fit into the series.

I have longed planned to do some significant rewriting of My Wicked Enemy, mostly to return several key scenes to the way I wrote them in the first place and back-out editorial caution that I feel, to this day, significantly weakened the book. For book 2 (RITA finalist My Forbidden Desire), I realized I’d have to write scenes I knew my editor would insist be cut so that I could keep the scenes I really wanted. For that reason, that book probably needs less rework to return it to my original concept of the series.

I’ve already started writing the first prequel. At the moment, the title is My Infernal Lover, but I suspect that won’t stick. The second one is tentatively titled “Blow Back” and will fit with the other two shorter novel/novellas, Dead Drop and Free Fall.

Here’s What’s Up

Surrender to Ruin is still out for its final final final editorial read. The anthology How to Find a Duke in Ten Days is officially on sale. Readers are really responding to the stories. Mine is The Viscount’s First Kiss. If you haven’t picked up your copy, you should! Click here for my website buy links page.

Other News

I have a reversion for Not Wicked Enough. As soon as I have the reversion letter, my version of the book will be on sale world wide. Until the reversion, Berkley Books had North American rights.

What’s Next

I have several projects in the pipeline, but after a lot of thought I have reordered them. As some of you may know, Hachette Books still has the rights to the first two books in my My Immortals series. They have, to date, stood fast on refusing to revert because of outstanding sublicenses that do not expire until 2021. This severely hampers my ability to properly market the series, and that matters, a lot, to my bottom line. It’s hard to get traction with new readers when I don’t control two of the books, both of which are either no longer in print or very hard to find in print.

Therefore, I have decided to write two “replacement” books that will provide a new series lead-in to books 3-7. They are tentatively titled My Infernal Lover and Blow Back. Once both are done, I’ll have a way to effectively market the series and, hopefully, bring new readers into the series.

That does mean I am pushing back starting the new “Dark Elf” series, which is disappointing, though I am continuing to draft out my vision for for this series. My historical Not Proper Enough will likely revert sometime in the next year. Book 3 in the series remains on my project list.

I’ve been making good progress on My Immortals Book 7. It’s coming together well, which is good news. I’ve told my cover artist to consider My Demon Warlord the final title so there you go. I should have a final cover soon.

Shortly though, I’ll be writing a novella for the anthology Dancing in the Duke’s Arms. I’m hoping to have My Demon Warlord to some trusted readers while I’m doing that.

I’ve changed my mind about the project after that. I was going to start on the Dark Elf series but I have decided I should write Sinclair Sisters Series Book 3, THEN start the new series.

Here’s a picture of some of the tulips coming up in the garden. It looks a little better close up but hey! Spring is coming!

Palla is a demon warlord’s deadly assassin who has no idea how to behave around humans. Wallace Jackson is a pacifist street witch with power she can’t access. He’s desperate to unlock her magic because only she can help him rescue his former lover from unending suffering. Their unlikely, volatile partnership transforms their lives and their hearts.

This is NOT the novella version. This is rewritten, reordered, and significantly expanded. Go forth and buy. And read. And enjoy. The print version is ready, too. Who wouldn’t want demons and witches to read about over the holidays?

OK, so I am failing miserably at NaNoWriMo again. I’m busy pulling together an excuse. I’ll let you know when I have one. Feel free to provide an excuse in the comments.

I have finished turning Dead Drop into a novel. I’ve given it Book 6 in the My Immortals book order, by the way. It’s 42,000+ words and will be on sale December 17, 2014. Pre-order links are going live now. Also, it seems I have not yet shown you guys the cover. Here it is!

Cover of Dead Drop

The print version is ready to go. I’ll just need to pull the on-sale trigger. Here’s the pre-orders I have so far:

Just a reminder that I set up a newsletter-subscriber only section of my website. I’m currently serializing Dead Drop there. We’re up to chapter 8!

My last newsletter included everything you need to know to login to the subscriber only section. If you believe you’re a subscriber and didn’t get the email, then check your spam. I know Yahoo mail and Gmail both do a good job of reducing spam and “Promotion” but that also means that my newsletter is likely getting caught up in that. You may need to check those folders and whitelist me. If you don’t have the information, email me and I’ll get you the details.

Other News

I will be on vacation beginning Wednesday. ::me dancing:: Thursday I leave for New York and my first RWA Board Meeting. I’ll have all the following week off and hope to make major progress on My Immortals Book 7, which is Kynan’s and Maddy’s book.

With apologies to everyone at FB who I realize will now see this THREE times because I am so hopeless at facebook…

Here’s the new cover for My Dangerous Pleasure, Book 4 of the My Immortals series. Rights have been reverted and now there is one more book in the series I can release world wide. The print version is in progress and will probably be on sale in a week or so. I anticipate some issues with getting the traditionally published files taken down. I’ve already started that process with preemptive requests for take downs and sending along my reversion.

I can’t tell you how happy I am to be able to release this book everywhere. Despite the fact that my publisher bought World Rights, none of the digital books were released outside Canada and the U.S., and even the paper copies were scarce, I understand.

Here’s the new cover copy:

Paisley Nichols is drawn into a dark world of demons, witches, and mages after a magical attack leaves her near death. The man who’s been stalking her is a mage with a tenuous hold on sanity. Iskander, her smoking hot landlord, is the demon who saved her life. As she copes with her new abilities and the threat she represents to magic-using humans, she can’t help but see Iskander with new eyes. He’s sexy, uninhibited, and sinfully handsome, but there’s also an undeniable emotional connection between them. First he’s in her arms, then her bed, and, before long, her heart.

Keep the human woman alive. Those are Iskander’s orders after the attack on his tenant leaves her with abilities that can save his kind from unimaginable suffering. When it comes to human women, Paisley is his physical ideal, and he’s all about finding out how far she’d like to go, no strings attached and all boundaries ignored. Except she’s everything he’s ever wanted in a partner, in bed and out. Now he has two jobs: keep her alive and convince her she’s the only woman for him.

My Dangerous Pleasure is Book 4 in the My Immortals Series, set in a world where demons are real and the people who use magic to protect innocent humans aren’t always in the right.

Last night, I think I finally hit on a possible title for Harsh Marit’s story (My Immortals Series, Book 5). I keep mulling over a few things, like, should I keep the “My [Something] [Something]” pattern of the first 4 books?